Arthur Leywin
"Well then let's dance, shall We?" I said with wide smirk while channeling wind mana into my sword.
[Crescent Wind Blades]
With a quick swing of my blade, several crescent-shaped wind slashes shot toward the beast. They cut through the air, traveling swiftly towards their target. The attack connected, landing against its dark hide. However, it only managed to carve shallow wounds, barely scratching the surface of the beast's thick fur and hide. The hell hound growled, its eyes burning with fury.
In an instant, it charged towards me, moving far faster than I had anticipated before. I had to react quickly. Stomping my foot into the ground, I channeled earth mana, summoning my next spell.
[Piercing Earth Wall]
Massive spikes erupted from the ground, rushing forward in a chaotic line aimed directly at the charging hound. The ground trembled as they shot upward, creating a barrier between me and the beast. The hell hound didn’t falter, lowering its heads and crashing through the spikes one by one, shattering them with sheer brute force. Each strike cracked the earth beneath it, the debris scattering everywhere.
It bought me just enough time. Using wind mana, I propelled myself high into the air, twisting my body to gather momentum. My sword glinted in the light as I prepared to strike, channeling gravity mana into my next move.
[Down Force]
I swung downwards, accelerating the force of my strike with gravity. The air around me whistled under the pressure of my descent. The impact was explosive as my sword collided with the beast’s back, sending a shockwave rippling outward. The hell hound staggered, letting out a guttural snarl as my blade bit deep into its hide.
The strike left a more significant mark this time, but the beast wasn’t finished. It shook off the pain, turning all three heads towards me with renewed fury. I landed, crouched and ready for its next move.
The hell hound turned its gaze toward me, each of its three heads snarling in fury as dark mana radiated from its massive frame. There was no time to hesitate. I needed to keep up the pressure.
I channeled more wind mana through my body, refusing to let the beast recover.
[Whirlwind Cutter]
My body shot forward, propelled by the wind, turning into a blur of motion. As I approached, I spun in a tight horizontal cyclone, my blade slicing through the air. Each strike left a trail of wind-enhanced slashes in its wake, hammering the hound with a relentless barrage. This time, the attack landed with greater force. My sword carved deep, jagged marks into its dark fur, drawing blood from the beast's muscular body.
The hell hound staggered again, its three heads rearing back in a howl of pain and rage. Its eyes flared a blazing red before retaliating with a powerful blast of fire from each of its mouths. Three searing columns of flame converged toward me, their heat so intense I felt it singe the air.
"Not so fast," I muttered, channeling earth mana quickly.
[Earth Wall]
A thick wall of earth surged up in front of me, blocking the oncoming torrent of fire. The flames crashed against the wall, splashing around its edges in a swirl of orange and red. I could feel the heat radiating through the wall, threatening to melt it. But I couldn't stay defensive for long.
With a burst of wind mana, I launched myself into the air, leaping over the smoldering wall just as it began to crumble under the assault. I raised my sword, wind mana swirling around me as I aimed for the hell hound's exposed area, ready to strike again. Channeling gravity mana, I forced the surrounding area's gravity to become many times heavier.
[Down Fall]
The hound roared as the ground around it compressed, its limbs buckling under the sudden weight. For a brief second, it was trapped, struggling to lift its massive frame. That was all the time I needed.
Using my enhanced momentum from the leap, I descended rapidly. Wind mana coiled around my sword, increasing its cutting edge. I aimed at the central head, slashing down with all my might.
With a fierce, tearing sound, my blade severed one of the hound's heads clean off. Dark blood spurted out, the hound's remaining heads howling in pain and fury as it stumbled back.
"One head down, two more to go," I muttered, feeling my heartbeat slow as I flexed my mana letting my intent pour out, washing over the hound in a suffocating wave.
-----
It was over. I stood amidst the aftermath, breathing steadily. The hound now lay defeated on the ground with all three of its heads severed, one of its legs torn off and thrown aside. Around me, the surroundings bore the scars of our battle: trees splintered and charred, the earth marked with deep cracks and burn marks.
As I surveyed the scene, I couldn't help but feel the toll of the fight settle more then I had expected by only using my Earth and Wind elements. But for now, it was done.
I bent down, my fingers slick with blood as I ripped the beast core from the hound’s chest. It was warm, thrumming with mana in a way that felt... wrong. Sylvie leaped onto my shoulder in her fox form, her small nose twitching.
“This core... it feels like the mana was corrupted,” she said, her voice echoing in my mind.
“Yeah,” I replied, studying the core. “This hound was unnatural. Its physical abilities were enhanced far beyond what they should’ve been, and it was... wild.”
I activated the integrated phase of Sylvia’s will. My hair turned pure white, and my eyes deepened into a piercing purple. Golden runes etched themselves beneath my eyes, flowing down my arms and across my body. I focused on the core, examining it more closely. Faint wisps of dark corrupted mana swirled around it, almost as if they were trying to invade my senses.
"Something bad is happening on this continent," I muttered, narrowing my eyes at the core. "This beast was corrupted—artificially. I’ve faced a few S-rank beasts over the past months, but none of them were like this."
Questions flooded my mind. Who or what could be responsible for this? Could it be the people from the other continent? But why would they do this? Were they seeking war or conquest?
“We’re going to have to fasten our pace and investigate this, Sylv,” I said, my tone grim. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
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Tbate: Resurgence
Fanfiction"Every decision I make could send out ripples that would topple continents or end timelines. I'd seen it over and over again through Fate" -Arthur Leywin What if one such decision to reveal a certain 'Truth' leads to a outcome beyond one imagined? ...
